The quality here has gone downhill in the last year quite significantly. Don't let them fool you with their billboards advertising 10 years rated Omaha's best Mexican food. While my family has been patronizing this establishment for the last 8 years we have noticed a drastic decline in the food and service quality lately. Food has been served less than hot, and is as bland as a piece of cardboard. It takes forever to get the check and the staff is apathetic despite the restaurant being nearly empty. The point is you should consider saving your hard earned money and look for a better alternative. Sad to see the demise of this once great local chain!
(1)
Jess G.
Food is authentic and always cooked to order. Good family atmosphere but you can still order a mixed drink and good prices.
(5)
Nathan S.
The top shelf margaritas were very good. If you like spicy food the molcajete was exceptional. It was served in a lava bowl and the spice was perfect. The sauce was thicker than I have had in other restaurants where it was watered down. Definitely will order it again.
(4)
Olivia K.
Zero in my book. First off we had two baby twins that where acting up so my husband left to take them home instead of having people listen to a crying babies. I stayed with the other kids. I ask our waitress if she could please take off the kids meals and my husband meal. She came back and said yes to the kids meal and no to my husbands because it was already made I understand that. But the waitress was acting like it was such a big deal that her life was going to end cause I asked. Then when I went to sit down In my chair I pinched my fingers due to the seat on the side was broke, I asked to talk to the manager he came and asked a dumb question what do you want me to do he said? I could have died then he goes and says you want me to take you to the hospital and I pay for the bill, no idiot fix the chair. Then to girls standing by the cash register started to laugh and make fun of me really. Here the thing girls I don't work for a place that only pays minimum wage you do. Maybe need better customer service and a way better manager that is smarter. Then the meal was so nasty to me and my kids I couldn't even eat mine, my kids ate a little not a lot. This place is bad don't go here.
(1)
Rustin L.
Wow. Omaha is the only city I've lived in (and there have been MANY) that can't seem to nail down Mexican food. The customer service was pretty good and we were seated quickly. It was my wife's birthday so there were five of us. My first test of the wait staff in a Mexican place is how quick the chips and salsa come out and we weren't disappointed...except in the taste. Pretty bland. The second test (of any establishment!) was my order of a soda *without* ice. This tells me whether the staff is actually listening or just going through the routine; La Mesa is just going through the routine. Ice filled to the rim. We ordered a medley of items and each person in the party remarked on how bland each plate tasted. I was hoping for more and was disappointed to not make the birthday dinner a good one. They did bring the requisite party hat and ice cream and sung a nice Mexican birthday song. However, EVEN the ice cream wasn't very flavorful and was a disappointment. Can I say we'll never be back? No, but mostly because there aren't many options on the southwest side of town. Meh.
(2)
Yelp R.
I honestly read the reviews and not sure why this place gets such high marks. The food is below average and overpriced. They charge you a 1.50 for hot sauce? Wow. The chips and salsa is by far the best menu item and it is very tasty. For your money there are at least 3 other Mexican restaurants in a 1 mile radius that is quite frankly more reasonable and better. I've tried the shredded and ground beef both are under seasoned and lack depth. For a family of four you can expect to pay 40 dollars which for the quality is just way over priced.
(1)
Moira R.
I have been eating here for over ten years and it has always been one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. The service is always fast and friendly and they do an outstanding job of handling large groups. For this reason, this place is my in-laws' go-to for large family dinners. They have no problem accomodating large groups (even without a reservation), handling large orders in a timely manner, and correctly splitting checks. Their food and margaritas are very good. I usually go with the Mazatlan (one shrimp and crab quesadilla and one shrimp and crab enchilada). I really enjoy the bright decorations! They also have a really great happy hour and reverse happy hour!
(4)
Benjamin R.
I moved to Nebraska few California where we have an overabundance of Mexican restaurants so finding Mexican food here was a must for me since it is a favorite food of mine. Stumbled across La Mesa and decided to check it out. The first two times I went were excellent. There was no wait, our waitress was very nice and attentive but not bothersome. The food came out timely, and was actually pretty good. The last two times I've gone since have not been a good experience, however. The waiter we had has a very obvious attitude of disdain for his job. He rushed us both times to order, and then got our orders wrong. I ordered Carnitas one of the times and they came out extremely dry and crunchy. Last time I visited, I asked for beans and rice which I assumed would mean the beans and cheese with rice, but instead I got plain black beans in water which tastes like plain black beans in water.
(3)
A M.
They have NO concept of what customer service means. This was my second visit at this location for happy hour where the prices are half off. (My main dish was even half off). I asked my waitress how much the margaritas were and she said $3. When the bill comes, it's $4. I asked her why it wasn't $3 and she said because it was flavored. I told her that if that was the case, I would've gotten a regular one at $3. She said she'd talk to a manager, (Hugo) and came back and said, sorry nothing I can do. I then saw on the menu sitting on the table that said margaritas $5.50, add flavor $.50 and I said, if the flavor ones are normally $6 then the $3 would be correct since it's half-off, I'd like to see the manager. He came over and had NO CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS WHATSOEVER. He kept saying it was there on the menu like a broken record, and pointed to a special menu he had in his hand. I said if he wanted to fight me over a dollar than that was fine, I wasn't coming back. So instead of being smart and taking care of a customer who would then be additional money flow in the future, he wanted to "stick it" to a customer (over $1!) and cost the business future dollars and bad word-of-mouth. No doubt that the "cheapness" of the food brings people in and that's how they make their money and in-turn, they get away with treating customers poorly. Hopefully my word-of-mouth will cost them money too. Don't go here unless you don't mind be treated like you are at the bottom of the barrel and any complaint you have, you'll just have to "eat." For a restaurant being run in America, they have no concept of how to do things the American way.
(1)
Christine B.
Not my fav, but don't completely hate it either. Lots of chips to fill you up before your meal actually arrives. A couple of tips. Ask for the green salsa (it's better than the red salsa). Get the queso dip (I love ALL forms of cheese, so I'm biased - I heart cheese THAT much). The service is always friendly. The decor is really cute (although chairs are more cute than comfortable). If you're looking for authentic Mexican, avoid at all costs. However, if you have folks in your group who like giant portions of Americanized Mexican between $7-12, need a place that can accommodate large groups and are looking for something in the heart of Papillion, La Mesa is a decent choice. I'd like to give it one star (for food), but I'm giving them the second star for occupying a bay in Tara Plaza and bringing some business to the community. Oh yeah...and did I mention the queso dip?
(2)
Shawn G.
The queso dip is to die for, and the Enchiladas Acapulco are fantastic, even if the crab-meat is faker than a Wall Street banker's smile. The tequila selection is robust and some of the servers actually know what they're talking about when they recommend on in particular to you. Margaritas can be had for anywhere from 3 or 4 bucks to over 10, depending on your tastes, and they offer the standard Mexican beer selection as well. All of this aside, though, this place just oozes "fake" vibes. Compared to the authentic Mexican food I had in Arizona, or even here in town, for that matter, this place is probably only two stars, but compared to the Americanized, suburbanized Mexican fare you'd find other places, La Mesa is a solid choice. P.S. Do NOT, under any circumstances, get the sopapillas. They're flat and flavorless.
(3)
Morgan H.
I am giving La Mesa 2 stars only because the service was good. If you want good Mexican food, don't bother with this place! While it has great selection, this would be best served at an old folks home where flavor is lost on aged taste buds. I had the seafood acupulco (seafood enchiladas with crab and shrimp). It was bland, lacked a flavorful sauce to compliment the dry insides and just all around the worst enchilada I've ever had. My bf had a chile rellano, taco and enchilada and felt that it too was dry and needed more sauce. We only ate here because we were meeting a friend. Would never stop back because of the food. But the service was good. Voted #1 Mexican restaurant in Omaha? I'm not sure those voters knew what they were voting for!
(2)
Colin S.
La Mesa is alright, but I've just never really "loved" their food. Anytime suggests going here I quickly suggest Maria's instead. La Mesa is just kinda blah for me. If you like "real" Mexican food, then avoid this place. If you are like me and like the Americanized version of Mexican food then you'll be alright, however I recommend heading over to Ralston and visiting Maria's if you want good Mexican.
(2)
Jessie K.
they have mice and roaches in the dining room. just imagine what's in the kitchen!
(1)
Megan L.
Came here for happy hour and food on a business trip recently; place was recommended by a few locals. I loved the enchiladas; great atmosphere, very friendly servers.
(4)
Ed B.
One of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Omaha/Papillion. Great chips and salsa, and getting a side of cheese dip is worth it. My favorite is the Mazarlan - the grilled shrimp quesadilla is wonderful!!
(5)
Chris V.
Beef nachos are to die for! Great drink specials too
(4)
Audrey F.
I am a fan of La Mesa's...However not the one in Papillion. The waitress was kind of dingy also. The food was not as good. Maybe the cook was having a bad day. However the place was not busy. I will stick to the other La Mesa's in Millard and Omaha. I am also anxious to try the La Mesa's in Bellevue.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Tim A.
The quality here has gone downhill in the last year quite significantly. Don't let them fool you with their billboards advertising 10 years rated Omaha's best Mexican food. While my family has been patronizing this establishment for the last 8 years we have noticed a drastic decline in the food and service quality lately. Food has been served less than hot, and is as bland as a piece of cardboard. It takes forever to get the check and the staff is apathetic despite the restaurant being nearly empty. The point is you should consider saving your hard earned money and look for a better alternative. Sad to see the demise of this once great local chain!
(1)Jess G.
Food is authentic and always cooked to order. Good family atmosphere but you can still order a mixed drink and good prices.
(5)Nathan S.
The top shelf margaritas were very good. If you like spicy food the molcajete was exceptional. It was served in a lava bowl and the spice was perfect. The sauce was thicker than I have had in other restaurants where it was watered down. Definitely will order it again.
(4)Olivia K.
Zero in my book. First off we had two baby twins that where acting up so my husband left to take them home instead of having people listen to a crying babies. I stayed with the other kids. I ask our waitress if she could please take off the kids meals and my husband meal. She came back and said yes to the kids meal and no to my husbands because it was already made I understand that. But the waitress was acting like it was such a big deal that her life was going to end cause I asked. Then when I went to sit down In my chair I pinched my fingers due to the seat on the side was broke, I asked to talk to the manager he came and asked a dumb question what do you want me to do he said? I could have died then he goes and says you want me to take you to the hospital and I pay for the bill, no idiot fix the chair. Then to girls standing by the cash register started to laugh and make fun of me really. Here the thing girls I don't work for a place that only pays minimum wage you do. Maybe need better customer service and a way better manager that is smarter. Then the meal was so nasty to me and my kids I couldn't even eat mine, my kids ate a little not a lot. This place is bad don't go here.
(1)Rustin L.
Wow. Omaha is the only city I've lived in (and there have been MANY) that can't seem to nail down Mexican food. The customer service was pretty good and we were seated quickly. It was my wife's birthday so there were five of us. My first test of the wait staff in a Mexican place is how quick the chips and salsa come out and we weren't disappointed...except in the taste. Pretty bland. The second test (of any establishment!) was my order of a soda *without* ice. This tells me whether the staff is actually listening or just going through the routine; La Mesa is just going through the routine. Ice filled to the rim. We ordered a medley of items and each person in the party remarked on how bland each plate tasted. I was hoping for more and was disappointed to not make the birthday dinner a good one. They did bring the requisite party hat and ice cream and sung a nice Mexican birthday song. However, EVEN the ice cream wasn't very flavorful and was a disappointment. Can I say we'll never be back? No, but mostly because there aren't many options on the southwest side of town. Meh.
(2)Yelp R.
I honestly read the reviews and not sure why this place gets such high marks. The food is below average and overpriced. They charge you a 1.50 for hot sauce? Wow. The chips and salsa is by far the best menu item and it is very tasty. For your money there are at least 3 other Mexican restaurants in a 1 mile radius that is quite frankly more reasonable and better. I've tried the shredded and ground beef both are under seasoned and lack depth. For a family of four you can expect to pay 40 dollars which for the quality is just way over priced.
(1)Moira R.
I have been eating here for over ten years and it has always been one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. The service is always fast and friendly and they do an outstanding job of handling large groups. For this reason, this place is my in-laws' go-to for large family dinners. They have no problem accomodating large groups (even without a reservation), handling large orders in a timely manner, and correctly splitting checks. Their food and margaritas are very good. I usually go with the Mazatlan (one shrimp and crab quesadilla and one shrimp and crab enchilada). I really enjoy the bright decorations! They also have a really great happy hour and reverse happy hour!
(4)Benjamin R.
I moved to Nebraska few California where we have an overabundance of Mexican restaurants so finding Mexican food here was a must for me since it is a favorite food of mine. Stumbled across La Mesa and decided to check it out. The first two times I went were excellent. There was no wait, our waitress was very nice and attentive but not bothersome. The food came out timely, and was actually pretty good. The last two times I've gone since have not been a good experience, however. The waiter we had has a very obvious attitude of disdain for his job. He rushed us both times to order, and then got our orders wrong. I ordered Carnitas one of the times and they came out extremely dry and crunchy. Last time I visited, I asked for beans and rice which I assumed would mean the beans and cheese with rice, but instead I got plain black beans in water which tastes like plain black beans in water.
(3)A M.
They have NO concept of what customer service means. This was my second visit at this location for happy hour where the prices are half off. (My main dish was even half off). I asked my waitress how much the margaritas were and she said $3. When the bill comes, it's $4. I asked her why it wasn't $3 and she said because it was flavored. I told her that if that was the case, I would've gotten a regular one at $3. She said she'd talk to a manager, (Hugo) and came back and said, sorry nothing I can do. I then saw on the menu sitting on the table that said margaritas $5.50, add flavor $.50 and I said, if the flavor ones are normally $6 then the $3 would be correct since it's half-off, I'd like to see the manager. He came over and had NO CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS WHATSOEVER. He kept saying it was there on the menu like a broken record, and pointed to a special menu he had in his hand. I said if he wanted to fight me over a dollar than that was fine, I wasn't coming back. So instead of being smart and taking care of a customer who would then be additional money flow in the future, he wanted to "stick it" to a customer (over $1!) and cost the business future dollars and bad word-of-mouth. No doubt that the "cheapness" of the food brings people in and that's how they make their money and in-turn, they get away with treating customers poorly. Hopefully my word-of-mouth will cost them money too. Don't go here unless you don't mind be treated like you are at the bottom of the barrel and any complaint you have, you'll just have to "eat." For a restaurant being run in America, they have no concept of how to do things the American way.
(1)Christine B.
Not my fav, but don't completely hate it either. Lots of chips to fill you up before your meal actually arrives. A couple of tips. Ask for the green salsa (it's better than the red salsa). Get the queso dip (I love ALL forms of cheese, so I'm biased - I heart cheese THAT much). The service is always friendly. The decor is really cute (although chairs are more cute than comfortable). If you're looking for authentic Mexican, avoid at all costs. However, if you have folks in your group who like giant portions of Americanized Mexican between $7-12, need a place that can accommodate large groups and are looking for something in the heart of Papillion, La Mesa is a decent choice. I'd like to give it one star (for food), but I'm giving them the second star for occupying a bay in Tara Plaza and bringing some business to the community. Oh yeah...and did I mention the queso dip?
(2)Shawn G.
The queso dip is to die for, and the Enchiladas Acapulco are fantastic, even if the crab-meat is faker than a Wall Street banker's smile. The tequila selection is robust and some of the servers actually know what they're talking about when they recommend on in particular to you. Margaritas can be had for anywhere from 3 or 4 bucks to over 10, depending on your tastes, and they offer the standard Mexican beer selection as well. All of this aside, though, this place just oozes "fake" vibes. Compared to the authentic Mexican food I had in Arizona, or even here in town, for that matter, this place is probably only two stars, but compared to the Americanized, suburbanized Mexican fare you'd find other places, La Mesa is a solid choice. P.S. Do NOT, under any circumstances, get the sopapillas. They're flat and flavorless.
(3)Morgan H.
I am giving La Mesa 2 stars only because the service was good. If you want good Mexican food, don't bother with this place! While it has great selection, this would be best served at an old folks home where flavor is lost on aged taste buds. I had the seafood acupulco (seafood enchiladas with crab and shrimp). It was bland, lacked a flavorful sauce to compliment the dry insides and just all around the worst enchilada I've ever had. My bf had a chile rellano, taco and enchilada and felt that it too was dry and needed more sauce. We only ate here because we were meeting a friend. Would never stop back because of the food. But the service was good. Voted #1 Mexican restaurant in Omaha? I'm not sure those voters knew what they were voting for!
(2)Colin S.
La Mesa is alright, but I've just never really "loved" their food. Anytime suggests going here I quickly suggest Maria's instead. La Mesa is just kinda blah for me. If you like "real" Mexican food, then avoid this place. If you are like me and like the Americanized version of Mexican food then you'll be alright, however I recommend heading over to Ralston and visiting Maria's if you want good Mexican.
(2)Jessie K.
they have mice and roaches in the dining room. just imagine what's in the kitchen!
(1)Megan L.
Came here for happy hour and food on a business trip recently; place was recommended by a few locals. I loved the enchiladas; great atmosphere, very friendly servers.
(4)Ed B.
One of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Omaha/Papillion. Great chips and salsa, and getting a side of cheese dip is worth it. My favorite is the Mazarlan - the grilled shrimp quesadilla is wonderful!!
(5)Chris V.
Beef nachos are to die for! Great drink specials too
(4)Audrey F.
I am a fan of La Mesa's...However not the one in Papillion. The waitress was kind of dingy also. The food was not as good. Maybe the cook was having a bad day. However the place was not busy. I will stick to the other La Mesa's in Millard and Omaha. I am also anxious to try the La Mesa's in Bellevue.
(2)